Clasp.



PATENTED FEB. 24, 1903.-

.P; A. WERNIG.

CLASP.

APIfLIGATION FILED APR. 11. 1902.

H0 MODEL.

INVENTOH ATTORNEY;

W/ TNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK A. WERNIG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 721,264, dated February 24, 1903.

Application filed April 11, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. WERNIG, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a clasp designed especially for a garter-clasp, but adapted for use in a variety of relations where a clasp may be used to grip and hold a yielding or pliable fabric or other material.

An object of the invention is to provide a clasp which shall hold the fabric or material with Which itis used securely and firmly and without tearing or otherwise injuring such fabric. Numberless clasps have been designed with this object in view; but they are all defective in one or several respects.

A further object'is to provide a clasp which shall be easy to manipulate and adjust and compact in structure.

In accordance with these and other obj ects, which will be apparent,theinven tion provides a clasp which combines the features of a firm grip without likelihood of tearing, ease of manipulation, and compactness. These latter features are especially valuable in a 'g'arterclasp where it is essential that the clasp should be readily adjusted and should lie as flat as possible, as will be readily understood.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and the novel features of which will be more specifically pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

The invention will be understood upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective of a clasp constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsectional view showing in full and dotted lines the normal and depressed positions of a button carrying spring member. Fig. 3 is asimilar viewshowing a piece of fabric in position in the clasp. Fig. 4 is a view showing the clasp as it would Serial No. 102,343. (No model.)

be in use with a portion of the cord and the webbing of a garter.

Similar reference characters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views.

The body of the clasp consists of a substantially rigid member or fiat plate 1, which may be formed of sheet metal or any other desired material. A spring member 2 is suitably connected to one side of this plate, as at 3. From the point of attachment at 3 this spring member is bent upward slightly above the surface of the plate and then passes down through an aperture 4 therein. After passing through this aperture to the lower side of the plate the spring member is bent so as to present a part 5 parallel with and lying close to the under side of the plate in its normal position. A button 6 is secured to or may be integral with part 5, which button projects through a second aperture 7 in the plate 1. At one end of the clasp a loop 8 is shown as a convenient means of attaching it in any desired relation. InFig. 3 a piece of fabric 9 is shown as gripped by the clasp, and in Fig. lfabric 9 is likewise shown, while in the same figure 10 represents th'e'cord and 11 the webbing, which are shown merely for purposes of illustration and as one of various attachments with which this clasp may be used.

In operation it will be understood that by placing the thumb or finger upon the upwardly-projecting part 2 of the spring member of the clasp the button 6 may be readily depressed below the surface of the plate 1, and thereupon the fabric may be inserted between the button and the plate, or the clasp may be pushed down over the fabric to be gripped, and upon releasing the pressure on the spring the fabric will be drawn up through the aperture 7 and firmly gripped between the button and the plate. It has been-proved in practice and it will be readily seen that fabric will thus be held firmly and without injury thereto. This is owing, in part, to the yielding spring-pressure which is put upon the buttonG by the spring member upon which it is mounted. The springpressure allows the fabric to be held firmly, but in such manner that it may yield slightly under strain. Such yielding prevents tearing of the fabric, but is immediately taken up by the spring when the strain has ceased and before there has been sufiicient time to allow displacement of the fabric relatively to the clasp. A further advantage will be obvious in the construction such that the clasp may be manipulated by placing one finger on the lower face of the plate and the thumb upon the portion of the spring member projecting above the plate, whereby the clasp may be easily controlled by one hand. The advantage which results from compactness of the article will be obvious from the facts that when in use the part 5 rests close against the lower face of the plate and that the spring member need project only a slight distance above the upper surface of the plate, whereby the entire thickness of the article may be made comparatively small. Further advantages of this construction will be apparent without the necessity of more specifically pointing them out.

It Will be obvious that many changes in detail, proportions of parts, materials used in construction, and otherwise may be made while still retaining the essential features of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a clasp, a comparatively rigid member, a spring member attached thereto and carrying a button adapted in the normal position of said spring member to project through an aperture in said rigid member, the flexibility of said spring member allowing for movement of said button relatively to said aperture. I

2. In a clasp a plate, a spring member attached thereto, and carrying a button projecting through an aperture in said plate and a part connected with said spring member extending above the surface of said plate.

3. In a clasp, a plate, an aperture therein, a spring member connected thereto and carrying a button extending normally through said aperture and a part connected with said spring member and extending above the surface of said plate on the same side as that toward which said button is projected under the influence of said spring member.

4. In a device of the class described in combination a member or plate having two apertures therein, a spring member connected to said plate on one side thereof and bent downward through one of said apertures and having a part connected therewith projecting through the other aperture.

5. Inaclasp, a flat plate member, having an aperture therein, a spring member attached thereto and having a button normally projecting through said aperture whereby pressure on said spring member will temporarily withdraw said button from said aperture.

6. In a clasp in combination, a plate 1, having apertures 4t and 7 therein, a spring member connected at one end to said plate member said spring member extending throughout a portion of its length above said plate then bent down through said aperture 4 and again bent to extend parallel with the under side of said plate as at 5 and carrying a button 6, adapted normally to project through said aperture 7.

7. In a clasp in combination, a plate 1, having apertures 4 and 6 therein, a spring member 2 connected to said plate at 3 said spring member being upwardly extended above said plate then downwardly through said aperture 4 then extending parallel with the under side of said plate and carrying a button 6 registering with said aperture 7 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a clasp, a body member, a spring member attached thereto, and carrying a button adapted to be normally projected through an aperture in said body member, and means whereby said button may be withdrawn from said aperture against the force of said spring.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. WERNIG.

Witnesses:

H. M. SEAMANS, I. C. DELANEY. 

